Chapter 110: The Reckoning of Gu Rong
Qin Xuan transmitted his voice, his tone light but laced with chilling intent, "Sect Master Ning, don't try to act as if I'm forcing you, or I can't guarantee that my wife won't pay a visit to your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School tonight."
"Besides, you should know that the only reason you are alive today is entirely because I received favors from Spirit Hall since I was young, and I had no choice but to listen to the High Priest."
"But my wife has not received any favors from Spirit Hall. If she truly destroys your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, I believe the High Priest won't say much. After all, the High Priest is very discerning and knows who her own people are."
"Even if all of you die, the High Priest will not blame my wife."
Ning Fengzhi took a deep, shuddering breath. His mind, usually so sharp and analytical, was racing, trapped in a cage of pure terror.
He knew, with absolute certainty, that this was not a bluff.
Jingni was a Level 97 Peak Douluo. She was an assassin by nature, bound by no code, no sect, and no history on this continent. Her only anchor, her only loyalty, was to the man standing before him and the child he held. She would do it. And Qian Daoliu... he would let her.
He glanced at Chen Xin. Sword Douluo's eyes were closed, his hand resting on his sword. He wasn't moving. He knew it too. They were completely, utterly outmatched.
If Ning Fengzhi lied, Jingni would kill Gu Rong. If he defied, she would kill them all. His only path was to tell a partial truth, to sacrifice his friend's reputation to save his life and the Sect's.
"That's right," Ning Fengzhi said, his voice strained. "Bone Douluo saw you alone earlier, enduring the pressure of the four Sect Masters of the Black Tiger, Elephant Armored, Sacred Dragon, and Wind Sword sects. He felt that you might be a huge threat to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and asked me if I wanted to secretly eliminate you... but I didn't agree. As for your daughter, Bone Douluo didn't ask."
He had crafted his words perfectly. It isolated Gu Rong, painted himself as a rational leader, and protected the Sect.
But Qin Xuan was not done.
"Did you not agree, or did my wife interrupt before you could agree?" Qin Xuan deliberately raised his voice, his question cutting through the tense silence of the square for all to hear.
Ning Fengzhi gritted his teeth. "Jingni Douluo indeed appeared when Bone Douluo asked me. But regardless of Jingni Douluo's intentions, I would not have agreed!"
He was desperate, but he had to maintain this stance. "I, Ning Fengzhi, ask for nothing else, only that Second Majesty show mercy and spare Bone Douluo. I am willing to pay any price to make amends for this mistake."
As he said this, Ning Fengzhi had already basically anticipated the reactions of everyone present. But he could no longer pay attention to so much.
Compared to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and compared to Bone Douluo, this protector Douluo of the Sect, the reactions of those lone Spirit Masters and dozens of Spirit Master Sects were simply not worth mentioning.
As expected, the moment Ning Fengzhi's words left his mouth, the originally quiet square instantly became noisy.
A wave of shock and disgust rolled through the crowd.
"He admitted it!"
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School really does plot to assassinate geniuses!"
"And the Holy Son, no less! Not even sparing his child!"
"How despicable! And they call themselves a righteous Sect!"
One by one, they pointed their spears at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. To Qin Xuan's great surprise, the first to attack was not a minor sect, but Yu Yuanzhen, the Sect Master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, which was also one of the Upper Three Sects.
"Ning Fengzhi!" Yu Yuanzhen's voice was a roar, his own Spirit Power crackling around him as he stood. "I ask you! Since your Sect assassinates the geniuses of others... was the disappearance of Yu Xinglong, the most outstanding young disciple of my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, done by your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School?"
The decline of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect had always been the greatest pain in Yu Yuanzhen's heart.
Originally, there were still geniuses among the younger generation of the clan.
There was Yu Xinglong, who had awakened the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and whose innate Spirit Power reached Level 9.5. His talent was much stronger than that of him, the clan head, and he was the most likely rising star in the clan to break through to Titled Douluo.
Unfortunately, heaven envied his talent. During an outing to hunt for a spirit ring, he, along with the Spirit Saint Elder who protected him, disappeared.
No one was seen alive, no body was found dead.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had searched for a considerable period of time, but it was all in vain.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had suffered from a lack of successors because of this, and to this day, no one had appeared who could carry the banner of the clan's legacy.
Ning Fengzhi, already reeling, was struck by this new accusation. "Senior Yu, where did this come from? The Upper Three Sects are connected as one! How could my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School possibly attack the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"
He still had some impression of Yu Xinglong, who was about the same age as him. He was only 13 years old when he broke through to Spirit Elder, which had caused quite a stir at the time.
Unfortunately, he had left the Sect with a clan Spirit Saint to hunt for his 4th spirit ring, and he never returned.
When he heard his father mention this news, he had more than once regretted it for the other party.
As for whether it was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's doing, he didn't know. After all, at that time, he was only a teenager, a half-grown child.
Not to mention it wasn't the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's dark deed.
Even if it was, he would never admit it.
"Hmph! I suffer from a lack of evidence, but you are fearless!" Yu Yuanzhen snorted coldly. "Even if it wasn't you, it must have been your old man who did it! After the Sect Competition ends, I will definitely come to your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to have a good talk!"
Although he also really wanted to seek justice for Yu Xinglong, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was indeed not to be trifled with. Without evidence, he really couldn't do anything to them.
Some minor Sects that had also lost talented disciples, seeing that even Yu Yuanzhen chose to let the matter rest, couldn't help but be greatly disappointed.
But they dared not speak out to offend the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
So they all looked at Qin Xuan, hoping that this ruthless representative of Spirit Hall could demand an explanation for their deceased Sect disciples.
Regarding this, the "helpful," "good young man" Qin Xuan naturally would not disappoint them.
"All the Sect Masters and senior Spirit Masters present, please listen carefully!"
Qin Xuan said loudly. His voice, covered by Spirit Power, traveled far, almost resounding through half of Spirit City.
"Just now, Sect Master Ning personally admitted that Bone Douluo Gu Rong intended to assassinate me. This matter has nothing to do with Sect Master Ning, so I naturally will not make things difficult for him or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."
He masterfully separated the man from the Sect, painting Gu Rong as a lone radical and Ning Fengzhi as a cooperative, if misguided, leader.
"School Master Ning, why don't you thank me quickly?" Qin Xuan transmitted his Spirit Power to Ning Fengzhi, his voice dripping with false magnanimity.
Ning Fengzhi's face darkened. He secretly cursed Qin Xuan's shamelessness in his heart, but he still chuckled and did as told, bowing to Qin Xuan in front of everyone.
"Thank you, Second Majesty, for your magnanimity. I, Ning Fengzhi, am eternally grateful and will definitely restrain Bone Douluo in the future."
He lowered his status greatly, even somewhat humbly, but all of this was insignificant compared to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the life of Bone Douluo.
Upon hearing this, the Sects that had lost talented disciples couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. But Qin Xuan's next action instantly made their eyes light up. It was as if the resentment accumulated in their hearts for many years had been released, giving them a sense of great satisfaction.
"I, Qin Xuan, keep my word." Qin Xuan looked at Gu Rong, who was sprawled on the ground like a dead dog, his spirit broken. "Now it's your turn, Gu Rong. You wanted to kill me, but you were caught by my wife. How should this be handled?"
"I... apologize to you here." Gu Rong was not foolish; he didn't choose to be stubborn. After being easily subdued by Jingni, he knew that he was in trouble today, and so was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Being able to live and have a chance for revenge in the future was already very fortunate.
"An apology isn't enough." Qin Xuan's face was cold. "Wife, take off one of his legs." The last six words, Qin Xuan transmitted with his Spirit Power.
Jingni understood. Her gaze, devoid of all emotion, swept towards Gu Rong's right leg.
"No—!" Ning Fengzhi screamed, realizing what was about to happen.
At the same time, Sword Douluo Chen Xin's eyes flew open, his hand gripping his sword hilt so tightly his knuckles turned white. He tensed... but he did not move. He knew he was too late, and to move now would be to condemn them all to death.
Amidst Ning Fengzhi's exclamation, the part of Gu Rong's right leg below the knee was covered with a layer of deep, blood-red ice at a visible speed.
Crack—!
The ice shattered. And along with it, the part of Gu Rong's right leg below the knee shattered. The ice crystals were mixed with traces of fresh, frozen blood and shattered bone, staining the ground red.
Gu Rong was stunned for a few seconds, staring in disbelief at the bloody, frozen stump where his leg used to be.
He reacted, and then, unable to hold back, he let out a heart-wrenching, soul-tearing scream.
"Ah!"
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